Thủ Đức agriculture wholesale market in Thủ Đức city has reopened after more than five months of closure. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY— The Thủ Đức agriculture wholesale market in Thủ Đức city has reopened after more than five months of closure, according to the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.

Nguyễn Bình Phương, deputy director of the Thủ Đức Wholesale Market Company, said on the first day of reopening on Sunday that 600 tonnes of agricultural produce and foodstuff from various provinces and cities arrived at the market and were traded. 

Prior to the pandemic, about 3,200 tonnes of goods arrived at the wholesale market each day.

During the shutdown period, a transhipment station was set up at the wholesale market to ensure food supply (which transhipped around 90-100 tonnes of goods, mainly fruit, every day).

The transhipment station will stop operation when the wholesale market resumes full operation.

At the city’s three wholesale markets, the amount of goods arriving is about 4,234 tonnes per day, of which Hóc Môn wholesale market accounts for 1,600 tonnes per day, Thủ Đức wholesale market 600 tonnes per day and Bình Điền wholesale market more than 1,178 tonnes per day.

According to the department, a number of illegal markets have been set up around traditional markets, causing unhealthy competition between traders in the traditional markets and the illegal markets. In addition, shoppers and sellers at illegal markets fail to comply with pandemic prevention regulations. 

The city reopened the Hóc Môn Wholesale Market in October.

The Bình Điền Wholesale Market in District 8, which remains closed, is being used as a foodstuff freight transhipment station for HCM City. 

The reopening of wholesale markets in the city requires strict adherence to pandemic safety measures, according to city authorities.

Traditional markets

As many as 199 out of 233 traditional markets across the city have resumed normal operation. An additional five are expected to reopen by December 25, including Linh Xuân and Xuân Hiệp markets in Thủ Đức city; Bùi Phát market in District 3; and Tân Quý and Tân Thuận markets in District 7.

About 81 out of 3,101 convenience stores in the city have temporarily closed due to a lack of staff. Some convenience stores have temporarily closed for repair, according to the department.

Some have poor revenue and cannot maintain operations, the department said.

The department will work with agencies to inspect the implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures at markets.

It also will promote e-commerce to avoid in-person contact and reduce the risk of new infections.

The department is working with business associations to help companies develop plans and solutions to ensure compliance with criteria used to evaluate the safety of operations at businesses. — VNS